Camera with a film perforation wheel

ABSTRACT

A camera for edge-perforated film with a film feed device ( 9 ) and a rotatably mounted film perforation wheel (sprocket wheel) ( 101 ) that engages with teeth ( 102 ) in the edge perforations of the film and executes a rotational movement during feeding of the film is designed so that one side of the sprocket wheel ( 101 ) rests against a bearing surface ( 17 ) of a housing part ( 2 ) and the other side of the sprocket wheel has a coaxial bearing collar ( 103 ) that is rotatably arranged in a bearing opening of a housing part. Preferably the sprocket wheel ( 101 ) together with the bearing collar ( 103 ) is formed as a single integral unit and engages via an outer edge region in a circumferential interspacing between housing parts, wherein this interspacing may be formed between the bearing surface ( 17 ) and a plate ( 115, 118 ) arranged above the latter, which can form a circular bearing opening in which the bearing collar ( 103 ) of the sprocket wheel ( 101 ) is radially mounted.

The present invention relates to a camera for an edge-perforated filmwith a film perforation wheel having the features of thepre-characterising part of claim 1.

A camera of this type is known in which, during the assembly of thelatter, a film perforation wheel manufactured as a separate part isinserted into a housing pocket. A shaft guided from above through anopening in the housing is then coupled to the film perforation wheelinserted in the housing pocket. This arrangement involves a relativelycomplicated construction and requires a relatively large installationeffort to assemble together the film perforation wheel and shaft andalso to incorporate the film perforation wheel and its shaft into thecamera housing.

The object of the invention is to provide a camera of the type mentionedin the introduction that is relatively simple in design as regards thearrangement and mounting of the film perforation wheel in the camera andin which the film perforation wheel can be relatively easily insertedand mounted during assembly of the camera, in order optionally also topermit a relatively simple automated assembly.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features ofthe characterising part of claim 1.

Further developments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims.

The invention has in particular the advantage that during assembly ofthe camera the film perforation wheel can be inserted in relativelysimple and optionally also automated work stages, for example by arelatively simple plug-in technique.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in more detailhereinafter with the aid of the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view from above of the camera according to the invention,with the housing covers shown partly exposed,

FIG. 2 is another view, likewise from above, of the camera according toFIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a front view of the camera according to FIG. 2, with the fronthousing cover removed,

FIG. 4 is a separate and enlarged view of the perforation wheel assemblycontained in the camera according to FIGS. 1 to 3,

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the perforation wheel assembly accordingto FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a side view of the perforation wheel assembly according toFIG. 4 inserted into the camera housing, and parts of the said camerahousing in section,

FIG. 7 is a view from above of the subject of FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of parts of the subject of FIG. 7,

FIG. 9 is a view from above of a feed locking device contained in thecamera according to FIGS. 1 to 8 and parts cooperating therewith of adevice shown in cross-section to release and actuate a photographicshutter of the camera in a position that does not lock the film feed,

FIG. 10 shows parts of the subject of FIG. 9, partly in cross-sectionand partly in full view,

FIG. 11 shows the subject of FIG. 9 in a position locking the film feed,

FIG. 12 shows parts of the subject of FIG. 11, partly in cross-sectionand partly in full view,

FIG. 13 is a perspective view seen in the direction from the front coverof the housing, of a locking lever of the feed locking device accordingto FIGS. 9 to 12,

FIG. 14 is a separate plan view of a plate serving for the mounting of arelease lever of the camera according to FIGS. 1 to 13,

FIG. 15 is a separate plan view of the release lever mounted on theplate according to FIG. 14,

FIG. 16 is a cross-section of the plate according to FIG. 14 along thesectional line shown in FIG. 14,

FIG. 17 is a front view of the release lever according to FIG. 15,

FIG. 18 is a plan view of parts of the camera in the state of releasereadiness,

FIG. 19 is a front view of the subject of FIG. 18,

FIG. 20 shows the subject of FIG. 19 after a first partial movement ofthe release lever,

FIG. 21 is a plan view of the subject of FIG. 18 in the shutter releasestate,

FIG. 22 is a front view of the subject of FIG. 21,

FIG. 23 is a plan view of the subject of FIG. 22 in the state afteractuation of the shutter,

FIG. 24 is a front view of the subject of FIG. 23,

FIG. 25 is a rear view of the camera with the rear housing cover partlyexposed to show the arrangement of the image counting device in thecamera,

FIG. 26 is an enlarged view of parts of the image counting deviceaccording to FIG. 25,

FIGS. 27(a) to 27(h) show an image counting disc of the image countingdevice according to FIG. 25 and show successive steps of the setting todisplay for example three successive image numbers,

FIG. 28 shows a further embodiment of an image counting device as amodification of the image counting device according to FIG. 25,

FIG. 29 is a sectional view of the subject of FIG. 28 along thesectional line shown in FIG. 28,

FIG. 30 is a further embodiment of an image counting device as amodification of the image counting device according to FIG. 25,

FIG. 31 is a sectional view of the subject of FIG. 30 along thesectional line shown in FIG. 30,

FIG. 32 is a further embodiment of an image counting device as amodification of the image counting device according to FIG. 25, showingthe image counting disc in a starting position,

FIG. 33 is a view of the subject of FIG. 32, showing the image countingdisc in a further position,

FIG. 34 is a view of the subject of FIG. 32, showing the image countingdisc in an end position,

FIG. 35 is a further embodiment of an image counting device as a furthermodification and development of the image counting device according toFIG. 25,

FIG. 36 shows parts of a camera with the image counting device accordingto FIG. 35 in the setting to display the image numbers for a lastexposure of a sequence of exposures in the functional state beforetaking this last exposure and with a feed locking device in the settingto lock the film feed,

FIG. 37 shows the subject of FIG. 36, partly in section and partly in arear view,

FIG. 38 shows the subject of FIG. 36 after unlocking the film feed,

FIG. 39 shows the subject of FIG. 38, partly in section and partly in arear view,

FIG. 40 shows the subject of FIG. 36, partly in section and partly in arear view, after executing a further winding step in winding on thefilm,

FIG. 41 is a sectional view of the subject of FIG. 40,

FIG. 42 shows the subject of FIG. 40, partly in section and partly in arear view, after executing a further winding step in winding on thefilm, and

FIG. 43 is a sectional view of the subject of FIG. 42.

Several embodiments of the invention are described in detail hereinafterin conjunction with the drawings. In this connection reference numeralsused in the individual figures of the drawings to identify therespective parts of illustrated embodiments also apply as appropriatefor the corresponding identification of the same or similar parts inother figures, where such parts are not provided with referencenumerals.

Type of Photographic Camera

The still picture camera described in more detail hereinafter ispreferably a disposable camera preloaded with film by the manufacturer,which is designed for use with “135” roll film. This type of film is a35 mm film provided on both edges with sets of perforations formed byperforation holes arranged at a permanently constant mutualinterspacing. The invention may however also be employed in the same waywith multiple use cameras, which first have to be loaded with film bythe user in a manner known per se. Instead of use with 35 mm film, thecamera may however also be adapted for use with other recording media instrip form that have a set of continuous perforations at least on one ofthe two edges.

Construction of the Camera

FIGS. 1 to 3 in particular show in simplified form the main features ofthe construction of an embodiment of a camera for 35 mm roll film. Thiscamera 1 comprises a core assembly 2 that is arranged between a fronthousing cover 3 and a rear housing cover 4, a film F inserted in thecamera being shown only in FIG. 6. A light-proof connection is providedbetween the core assembly 2 and the rear housing cover 4. A photographiclens 5 for the optical recording of still images on the film inserted inthe camera is located on the front of the camera.

The core assembly 2 contains a receiving chamber 6 for accommodating aloose film supply spool (not shown) and a receiving chamber 7 foraccommodating a film cassette (also not shown) that can be inserted intothe camera, as well as a film guide device and a film feed device forguiding the film in the picture-to-picture feed from the film supplyspool to the film cassette. Of the film feed device, only the outwardlyprojecting, knurled film feed wheel 9 is shown by means of a slit 8 inthe rear housing cover 4, illustrated for example in FIG. 25, whichwheel is connected in a manner known per se and not described in moredetail here to a take-up spool of the film cassette and can be manuallyactuated by the camera user in order to execute the film feed, and morespecifically by turning the said wheel in an anti-clockwise direction inthe illustration according to FIG. 1.

As shown for example in FIG. 3, a photographic shutter for theimage-forming exposure of the film is located in the optical path of thelens in the camera housing. This shutter preferably has only a singleshutter blade 10 that is rotatably mounted on a bearing pin 12 integralwith the housing and moving in an oblong hole 11 and that is under theaction of a spring element, preferably a tension spring 13, that issecured at one of its ends to the shutter blade 10 and at its other endto a pin 14 integral with the housing and that urges the shutter blade10 towards a stop means 15 integral with the housing. The shutter blade10 has a lug-type projecting actuation stop 16 for the actuation of theshutter blade 10 in a manner described in more detail hereinbelow. Inthe unreleased state the shutter blade 10 adopts the position accordingto FIG. 3 and thereby prevents light passing through the lens 5 fallingon that section of the photographic film inserted in the camera thatlies in each case on the lens axis in the vicinity of the rear wall ofthe camera.

The aforedescribed camera also comprises the following structuralassemblies:

A perforation wheel assembly 100 that forms a film metering means,

A feed locking device 200 controlled by the rotation of the perforationwheel assembly 100 and that locks the film feed device after the feed ofthe film by in each case one frame,

A device 300 for releasing and actuating the photographic shutter andfor unlocking the film feed device after each release of the shutter, aswell as

An image (exposure) counting device 400 controlled by the perforationwheel assembly for counting and displaying the number of photographs(exposures) that, counting forwards, have already been taken on thephotographic film inserted in the camera or that, counting backwards,can still be taken on this film.

In order to mount these structural assemblies the camera housingcontains a central partition 17 belonging to the core assembly and anupper partition 18, which are parallel to one another.

The aforementioned structural assemblies and their cooperation aredescribed in more detail hereinafter.

Perforation Wheel Assembly

The perforation wheel assembly 100 serves as a film metering means andto this end cooperates with the film contained in the camera in such away that the perforation wheel assembly rotates about an axis during thefeed of the film in the camera. In addition the perforation wheelassembly 100 serves to control the locking movement of the feed lockingdevice 200, to control the resetting movement of the shutter releasedevice 300 from a disengaged position after release of the shutter to areadiness position for the next following shutter release with thesimultaneous tensioning of a spring reservoir of the feed locking device200, and also to drive the image counting device 400.

As can be seen in particular from FIGS. 3 to 6, the perforation wheelassembly 100 is arranged between an upper wall 17 of the core assembly 2of the camera and an upper housing wall 18 formed by the two housingcovers 3, 4 and is rotatably mounted in a manner described in moredetail hereinbelow. The perforation wheel assembly 100 comprises a filmperforation wheel, i.e. a sprocket wheel 101 that projects via its edgeteeth 102 into the film feed path and engages via the said teeth 102 ina manner known per se and therefore not described in more detail here ina series of edge perforations provided on the film, whereby the wheel isentrained and caused to rotate during the feed of the film. In theillustrated embodiment the circumference of the sprocket wheel 101 isdimensioned so that it executes a rotation of 180° about a central axisof the sprocket wheel with each feed of the film by one frame. Theperforation wheel assembly 100 also includes the following furthercomponents.

A bearing collar 103 is located immediately above the sprocket wheel 101and serves for the radial mounting of the said sprocket wheel 101. Acylindrical member 104 with a circumferential cylindrical surface 105lies above the bearing collar 103. A control cam 106 is locatedimmediately above the cylindrical member 104, with first and secondcontrol cam surfaces 107, 108 displaced by 180° relative to one another,in each case increasing spirally in cross-section from a region in thevicinity of the axis to an in each case outer concentric region, theouter concentric regions 109 of the control cam surfaces 107, 108forming partially cylindrical surfaces that have the same radius as thecircumferential cylindrical surface 105 of the cylindrical member 104.The cylindrical member 104 and the control cam 106 with its control camsurfaces together form a control element 104, 106. Upper edge sectionsof the cylindrical surface 105 form in each case disengagement edges 105a for the device 300 for releasing and actuating the photographicshutter, and the first and second control cam surfaces 107, 108 of thecontrol cam 106 serve in each case to reset the device 300 for releasingand actuating the photographic shutter after the shutter has beenreleased in the course of a following feed of the film by one frame, ina continuous transition to a starting position, and at the same timeserve continuously to tension an elastic element of the feed lockingdevice 200, which will also be described in more detail hereinbelow.

A cylindrical grooved disc 110 is located above the control cam 106, andhas on its circumference two radially inwardly directed grooves 111, 112displaced by 180° relative to one another and constitutes a controldevice for controlling the feed locking device 200, described in moredetail hereinbelow, for locking the film feed device.

A shaft frustum 113, which likewise serves for the rotatable mounting ofthe perforation wheel assembly 100, is located immediately above thegrooved disc 110 and carries an eccentric pin 114 eccentrically arrangedon an end front face, the said pin serving to drive the image countingdevice 400 not shown in FIGS. 2 to 8 and described in more detailhereinafter with the aid of FIG. 25 and subsequent figures.

The above-described components 103, 104, 106, 110 and 113 of theperforation wheel assembly 100 are arranged coaxially relative to thesprocket wheel 101 and participate in the rotational movement of thesprocket wheel 101. As FIG. 4 in particular shows, the whole perforationwheel assembly 100 may preferably be formed as a one-piece integral unitand may consist of a single plastics injection moulded part. Accordinglythe perforation wheel assembly 100 can be mass produced very cheaply,which has the further advantage that the various components in each casenot only have a high dimensional accuracy per se, but also a highdimensional accuracy in their spatial relationship to the othercomponents.

The incorporation of the perforation wheel assembly 100 into the housingof the camera and the rotatable mounting of the perforation wheelassembly 100 in the camera housing will now be described in more detailwith the aid of FIGS. 6 to 8.

A first guide plate 115, integral with the housing and located near therear housing cover 4, is situated above the upper wall 17 of the coreassembly 2 of the camera housing, a lower part of the said plateextending inwardly and perpendicular to this rear housing cover 4. Theguide plate 115 has a semi-circular indentation 116. On an assembly 117containing the photographic lens 5, which hereinafter is also termed alens carrier and on the front of which the core assembly 2 can bemounted, there is provided a second guide plate 118 which, when the lenscarrier 117 is in place, lies in the same plane as the first guide plate115 and likewise has a semicircular indentation 119 which, when the lenscarrier 117 is in place, forms a mirror image of the semicircularindentation 116 of the first guide plate 115. When the lens carrier 117is in place the two indentations 116, 119 of the first and second guideplates 115, 118 form a semicircular opening whose effective diameter isslightly larger than the diameter of the bearing collar 103 of theperforation wheel assembly 100. The distance of the lower surfaces ofthe first and second guide plates 115, 118 above the upper wall 17 ofthe core assembly 2 is dimensioned so that the sprocket wheel 101 of theperforation wheel assembly 100 can project into the space between theupper wall 17 of the core assembly 2 and the first and second guideplates 115, 118 and rotate therein without excessive friction. At thesame time the bearing collar 103 of the perforation wheel assembly 100lies in the opening formed by the indentations 116, 119 of the first andsecond guide plates 115, 118 and there experiences a radial support,with the result that the perforation wheel assembly 100 together withits bearing collar 103 is radially guided by this opening during itsrotation about the mid-axis.

In the assembly of the camera the installation of the perforation wheelassembly 100 is effected in such a way that, with the lens carrier 117not yet in place, the perforation wheel assembly 100 together with itssprocket wheel 101 is inserted underneath the guide plate 115 until thebearing collar 103 of the perforation wheel assembly 100 rests againstthe indentation 116 of the guide plate 115. Following this the lenscarrier 117 is mounted from the front on the core assembly 2, the secondguide plate 118 moving over the sprocket wheel 101 of the perforationwheel assembly 100 until the opening formed by the indentations 116, 119of the first and second guide plates 115, 118 forms a closed circularcontour. In this way the sprocket wheel 101 and with it the wholeperforation wheel assembly 100 is mounted both axially and radially,thereby permitting a relatively frictionless rotation of the perforationwheel assembly 100 about its mid-axis in this axial and radial mounting.After the lens carrier 117 has been mounted on the core assembly 2 thefront housing cover 3 is placed in position, which partially covers thelens carrier 117, as can be seen in particular from FIG. 6.

The installation of the perforation wheel assembly 100 in the camera canthus be effected by simple plug-in operations, which favours anautomated assembly of the camera. If, as a departure from theaforedescribed embodiment, the sprocket wheel 101 is designed so thatwith a feed of the film by one frame it does not execute a half rotation(rotation by 180°) but instead a full rotation (rotation by 360°), thecontrol cam 106 is modified so that it does not have two control camsurfaces 107, 108 but only a single control cam surface, which extendsover a large part of the circumference of the control cam 106.Furthermore, in this modification the grooved disc 110 does not have twogrooves 111, 112, but only a single groove.

Whereas in the aforedescribed embodiment the rotation of the perforationwheel assembly 100 takes place by entrainment of the sprocket wheel 101by the film when the latter is fed by the film feed wheel 9, as adeparture therefrom an intermediate gear (not shown in the drawings) mayalso be provided between the film feed wheel 9 and the perforation wheelassembly 100, so that the said perforation wheel assembly is driven bythe intermediate gear. In this modification a slip clutch is thenconveniently provided between the film feed wheel 9 and the film take-upspool of the film cassette inserted in the camera.

The aforedescribed embodiments for the perforation wheel assembly 100are examples of the embodiment of a general teaching, according to whichin a camera for edge-perforated film with a film feed device 9 and arotatably mounted sprocket wheel 101 that engages via teeth 102 in theedge perforations of the film and executes a rotational movement whenthe film is being fed, one side of the sprocket wheel 101 rests againsta bearing surface 17 of a housing part 2 and has on its other side acoaxial bearing collar 103 that is rotatably arranged in a bearingopening of a housing part. The sprocket wheel 101 and the bearing collar103 are preferably formed as a single integral unit.

The sprocket wheel 101 can engage with its external edge region in acircumferential space between housing parts, the said space preferablybeing formed between the bearing surface 17 and a plate 115, 118arranged above the latter. This arrangement can form a circular bearingopening in which the bearing collar 103 of the sprocket wheel 101 isradially mounted, and may be formed by first and second partial plates115, 118 with semicircular recesses 116, 119 arranged symmetrically withrespect to one another, which together form the bearing opening for thebearing collar 103 of the sprocket wheel 101.

In the assembly of the camera the sprocket wheel 101 may be insertedinto a space bounded by the first partial plate 115 and the secondpartial plate 118 can then be brought up to the first partial plate 115.The first partial plate 115 may be formed by a housing part and thesecond partial plate 118 by a lens carrier 117 that can be mounted on ahousing part.

The sprocket wheel 101 may be associated with a control device 110 forcontrolling the feed locking device 200, this control device preferablyhaving a grooved disc 110 joined to the sprocket wheel 101, on whichdisc rests a locking lever 201 of the feed locking device 200. Thegrooved disc 110 has at least one groove 111, 112, in which a pawl 205of the locking lever 201 of the feed locking device 200 can engage.

Furthermore the sprocket wheel 101 may be connected to a control device104, 106 for controlling the shutter release device 300. This controldevice can control the sequence of operations of a shutter actuationmember 317 and can reset the shutter release device 300 after release ofa photographic shutter of the camera from a disengaged position to areadiness position for the renewed release of the shutter. The controldevice 104, 106 may have at least one control cam surface 107, 108 ofoutwardly increasing cross-section, against which may rest at least onefollower 318, 321 of the shutter release device 300. A follower 318 ofthe shutter release device for controlling the sequence of operations ofa shutter actuation member 317 as well as a further follower 321 of theshutter release device 300 for controlling the resetting from thedisengaged position to the release readiness position may preferablyrest against the at least one control cam surface 107, 108 of thecontrol element 104, 106.

The at least one control cam surface 107, 108 of the control element104, 106 for controlling the shutter release device 300 adopts inrelation to a control device 110 for controlling the feed locking device200 a predetermined angular position, preferably in such a way that atleast one recess of the control cam surface 107, 108 of the controlelement 104, 106 is displaced by a slight angle relative to at least onegroove 111, 112 of the control device, formed as a grooved disc 110, forthe feed locking device 200.

The sprocket wheel 101 may be connected to a control device 114 for animage counting device 400 of the camera. Preferably this control devicehas an eccentric 114 cooperating with an image counting disc 401 of theimage counting device 400.

The sprocket wheel 101 and at least one control device for controllingthe feed locking device 200, the shutter release device 300 and/or theimage counting device 400 may form a perforation wheel assembly 100,which may be formed as a single integral unit from plastics material.

Feed Locking Device

The feed locking device 200 serves to lock the film feed device afterfeeding the film in each case by one frame, and is then unlocked againduring the release of the photographic shutter of the camera. The feedlocking device 200 therefore cooperates with the perforation wheelassembly 100, the film feed wheel 9, and the shutter release device 300.In addition the feed locking device 200 can also be influenced by theimage counting device 400.

The feed locking device 200 is illustrated in particular in FIGS. 9 to13 and includes a locking lever 201, which is shown in perspective fromabove in FIGS. 9 and 11 and separately in perspective in FIG. 13 fromthe front housing cover.

The locking lever 201, which is arranged substantially between theperforation wheel assembly 100 and the film feed wheel 9, has four armsand is rotatably mounted via an injection moulded bearing sleeve 202 ona bearing pin 203 secured to the lens carrier 117. On a first lever arm204 the locking lever 201 has a first pawl 205 that can rest agains thecircumference of the grooved disc 110 of the perforation wheel assembly100 and can engage in one of the grooves 111, 112 of the said grooveddisc 110 when one of the grooves of the latter faces the pawl 205following the rotation of the sprocket wheel 101. On the second leverarm 206 the locking lever 201 has a second pawl 207 that can engage in aknurled section on the circumference of the film feed wheel 9 of thefilm feed device, in order to lock and prevent the wheel rotating in ananti-clockwise direction (FIG. 3) and thus rotating in the direction ofthe film feed when the first pawl 205 of the locking lever 201 engagesin one of the grooves 111, 112, of the grooved disc 110.

Furthermore, a third lever arm 208 and a fourth lever arm 209 arearranged on the bearing sleeve 202 of the locking lever 201, which armsare shorter than the first and second lever arms 203, 206. The third andfourth lever arms 208, 209 form a fork for receiving a further switchingmember 320, described in more detail hereinbelow, of the shutter releaseand actuation device 300.

The third lever arm 208 is elastic and its free end can, under theaction of the switching member 320, project out to some extent in thedirection of the second lever arm 206, whereupon the third lever arm 208in the deflected position forms a spring reservoir under the action ofwhich the first pawl 205 of the locking lever 201 rests against thegrooved disc 110 of the perforation wheel assembly 100 and engages atthe set time in one of the grooves 111, 112 of the grooved disc 110. Theelastic deformation and deflection of the third lever arm 208 takesplace in such a way that the maximum prescribed elastic deflection ofthe free end of the third lever arm 208 is achieved immediately beforereaching the position in which the first pawl 205 of the locking lever201 engages in one of the grooves 111, 112 of the grooved disc 110, withrelease of the energy stored in the third lever arm 208 as a result ofits elastic deflection, whereupon the second pawl 207 engages in theknurled section of the film feed wheel 9 and thereby the perforationwheel assembly together with the sprocket wheel 101 and the film feedwheel 9 are in each case prevented from executing any further rotation.

The fourth lever arm 209 serves, after a release of the photographicshutter, to reset the locking lever 201 under the action of theswitching member 320 of the shutter release and actuation device 300 toa position in which the film feed wheel 9 and the perforation wheelassembly 100 are released once more, in order to permit a renewed feedof the film by the next successive frame.

The locking lever 201 and the first to fourth lever arms 204, 206, 208,209 arranged thereon, including the first and second pawls 205, 207 andincluding the bearing sleeve 202, are preferably formed as a singleintegral unit and preferably manufactured as a single injection mouldedpart from plastics material, the shape and dimensions of the third leverarm 208 and the plastics material selected for the manufacture of thelocking lever 201 being matched as regards their material properties soas to permit an elastic deflection and resetting of the free end of thethird lever arm 208 corresponding to the above description and thefollowing functional description.

In particular, the sequence of the contrary locking and unlockingmovements of the locking lever 201 are described in more detail on theone hand as a function of the film feed and on the other hand as afunction of the release and actuation of the photographic shutter of thecamera, in the course of the following description of the shutterrelease device.

The aforedescribed embodiments of a feed locking device are examples ofthe embodiment of the general teaching of providing a spring reservoir208 in a camera with a film feed device 9 for feeding a light-sensitivefilm arranged in the camera, a shutter release device 300 for releasinga photographic shutter 10 of the camera, and a feed locking device 200which, under the action of a spring reservoir 208, can be moveddepending on the forward feed of the film by one frame into a lockingposition that locks the film feed device 9, and can be moved dependingon the actuation of the shutter release device 300 into a releaseposition that unlocks the film feed device 9, which spring reservoir 208is detensioned, i.e. released, when the feed locking device 200 is inthe locking position and when it is changed to the release position, andwhich becomes increasingly tensioned by a control element 104, 106 movedby the feeding of the film during the film feed by a distance of oneframe that in each case follows a shutter release. Preferably the springreservoir 208 of the feed locking device 200 receives a maximumtensioning by the control element 104, 106 shortly before the film feedhas completed one full frame and the feed locking device 200 adopts itslocking position. The feed locking device 200 can lock the controlelement 104, 106 in the locking position.

The spring reservoir 208 of the feed locking device 200 may preferablybe tensioned by the shutter release device 300 when the latter is placedin a release readiness position by the control element 104, 106 afterthe shutter has been released. Preferably the spring reservoir 208 ofthe feed locking device 200 can be tensioned by a switching member 320of a release lever 301 of the shutter release device 300, this switchingmember 320 being able to change the feed locking device 200 from thelocking position into the release position.

Preferably the feed locking device 200 has a locking lever 201 on whichthe spring reservoir is formed as a spring-like lever arm 208. Thespring-like lever arm 208 may together with a further lever arm 209 ofthe locking lever form a fork in which the switching member 320 of therelease lever 301 of the shutter release device 300 engages, whereby theswitching member 320 can, via the further lever arm 209 of the lockinglever 201, effect the movement of the feed locking device 200 from thelocking position to the release position and, during the following feedof the film, can effect the tensioning of the spring-like lever arm 208.

The feed locking device 200 can be controlled by a further controldevice 110 that is connected to the control element 104, 106 effectingthe tensioning of the spring reservoir 208 of the feed locking device200. The spring reservoir 208 of the feed locking device 200 can in turnbe regulated by the control element 104, 106 and the feed locking device200 can be regulated by the further control device 110. The said furthercontrol device 110 can together with the control element 104, 106effecting the tensioning of the spring reservoir 208 of the feed lockingdevice 200, form a structural unit and may be provided with the controlelement 104, 106 effecting the tensioning of the spring reservoir 208 ofthe feed locking device 200, on a perforation wheel assembly 100comprising a sprocket wheel 101 of the camera.

Preferably the locking lever 201 of the feed locking device 200 has apawl 205 that can engage in a groove 111, 112 of the further controldevice 110 formed as a grooved disc. The locking lever 201 may have alocking pawl 207 that engages in locking teeth of the film feed device9.

Preferably the feed locking device 200 may be controlled by a furthercontrol device 210, 440-444 in such a way that the said feed lockingdevice 200 becomes effectively inoperative in at least one predeterminedcounting position of an image counting device 400 of the camera. Thelocking lever 201 of the feed locking device 200 may for this purposehave a stop member 210 that can rest against stops 440, 441, 442, 443,444 of an image counting disc 401 of the image counting device 400.

Preferably the locking lever 201 of the feed locking device 200 togetherwith its lever arms 208, 209, its pawls 205, 207, and/or its stop member210 is formed as a single integral unit from plastics material. It maybe rotatably mounted on a bearing shaft 202 secured to a lens carrier117 of the camera.

Shutter Release Device

The shutter release device 300 serves to release and actuate thephotographic shutter of the camera and to this end cooperates with theperforation wheel assembly 100 and with the feed locking device 200. Theshutter release device, which is illustrated in particular in FIGS. 14to 24, comprises an in principle three-armed release lever 301, which isshown separately in FIG. 15 in a view from above and in FIG. 17 in aview from the front. The release lever 301 is arranged in a cut-outportion 303 of a plate 302 that is integral with the housing. The plate302 is shown separately in FIG. 14 in a view from above and in FIG. 16in a section along the section line shown in FIG. 14. The release lever301 together with the plate 302 is secured via two web-like connectionmembers 304, 305 of rectangular cross-section on opposite sides 306, 307of the plate 302 forming the cut-out portion 303. The plate 302 and therelease lever 301 secured thereon via the connection members 304, 305together with the connection members 304, 305 are formed as a singleintegral unit from plastics material, the said connection members 304,305 forming short square torsion rods around which the release lever 301can swivel by torsioning the connection members 304, 305 about arotational axis defined by the said connection members. The longitudinalaxis of the cross-section of the rectangularly shaped connection members304, 305 is inclined relative to the plane of the plate 302 in order toabsorb as far as possible forces acting in an inclined direction on therelease lever 301 during the release and actuation of the shutter.

The design and shape of the release lever 301 is described in moredetail hereinafter. A spherical cap 309 is formed on a first lever arm308, which according to FIG. 15 is roughly plate-shaped, which capprojects upwardly through an opening 310 in that region of the housingforming a camera upper part 311. The opening 310 is covered by amembrane 312 secured to the camera upper part 311. The spherical cap 309can be forced downwards by exerting manual pressure on the membrane 312,whereupon the release lever 301 is swivelled in an anti-clockwisedirection about the rotational axis formed by the torsionally nonrigidconnection members 304, 305, as illustrated in FIG. 17.

A second lever arm 313 of the release lever 301 has two relativelynarrow, angularly bent elastic webs arranged parallel to one another,hereinafter termed spring webs 314, 315. Instead of the two spring webs314, 315 shown in the drawings, only one spring web or alternativelymore than two spring webs may also be provided. These run perpendicularto the rotational axis of the release lever 301 formed by the connectionmembers 304, 305 and have at their end a transverse web 316 with aforwardly projecting actuation arm 317 parallel to the rotational axisof the release lever 301 to actuate the shutter blade 10, as well as acam-shaped projection 318 aligned perpendicular to this rotational axis,which forms a follower for tracing control surfaces of the controlelement 104, 106 of the perforation wheel assembly 100 in the axialdirection.

The release lever 301 furthermore has a third lever arm 319 that for themost part runs parallel to the second lever arm 313, but which ispreferably rigid. The third lever arm 319 has on a downwardly bent endshown in the illustration according to FIG. 17, the switching member 320mentioned in the preceding descriptive section “Feed locking device”, aswell as a follower 321 which serves for the mainly radial tracing ofcontrol surfaces of the control element 104, 106 of the perforationwheel assembly 100. The switching member 320 engages in the spacebetween the fork-forming third and fourth lever arms 208, 209 of thelocking lever 201 of the feed locking device 200.

The sequence of events of the effective operation in connection with theshutter release will now be described in more detail hereinafter.

FIGS. 18 and 19 show the camera in the release-ready state, in whichaccording to FIG. 9 the first pawl 205 of the locking lever 201 of thefeed locking device 200 engages in one of the grooves 111, 112 of thegrooved disc 110 of the perforation wheel assembly 100 and the secondpawl 207 of this locking lever 210 engages in the knurled section of thefilm feed wheel 9, which is thereby locked against further rotation inthe film feed direction. At the same time the elastic third lever arm208 of the locking lever 201 adopts a position in which it isdetensioned.

The release lever 301 is not, or at most only slightly pretensioned inits spring webs 314, 315, so that a follower 318 formed as a cam-shapedprojection rests against the cylindrical wall surface 105 of thecylindrical member 104 of the perforation wheel assembly 100. Thecontrol cam surfaces 107, 108 of the control cam member 106 of theperforation wheel assembly 100 adopt an angular position as can clearlybe seen in FIG. 19.

If the camera user forces the spherical cap 309 downwards by pressingthe membrane 312 as illustrated in FIG. 19 in order to release theshutter, the release lever 301 as a result of the torsioning of theconnection members 304, 305 executes a swivelling movement about theaxis of the said connection members in an anti-clockwise direction.However the second lever arm 313, which carries the shutter actuationarm 317, can on account of the engagement of the cam-shaped projection318 on the cylindrical wall surface 105 of the cylindrical member 104 ofthe perforation wheel assembly 100, participate in this swivellingmovement of the release lever 301 only to the extent that this lever arm313 moves upwardly from the position according to FIG. 19 in thedirection of the position according to FIG. 20, the spring webs 314, 315thereby being more severely bent, with a decrease in the angle enclosedby them. An elastic stress is thereby created in the spring webs 314,315 as a result of the properties of the plastics material from whichthe release lever 301 is formed as a single unit, with the result thatthe release lever 301 becomes an energy reservoir in its part comprisingthe spring webs 314, 315.

If the release lever 301 is swivelled far enough by pressing themembrane 312, the cam-shaped projection 318 disengages from one of theupper edges 105 a of the cylindrical wall surface 105 of the cylindricalmember 104 of the perforation wheel assembly 100. FIG. 20 shows theposition of the release lever 301 shortly before the disengagement ofthe cam-shaped projection 318 from the upper edge 105 a of thecylindrical wall surface of the cylindrical member 104.

After the disengagement of the cam-shaped projection 318 from the upperedge of this wall surface 105 forming a disengagement edge 105 a, themechanical stress built up in the spring webs 314, 315 causes a suddensharp release of tension in the said spring webs 314, 315 and theshutter actuation arm 317 moves very rapidly to the right in ananti-clockwise direction from the position according to FIG. 20 to aposition shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, with release of the energy stored inthe spring webs 314, 315. In the movement from the position according toFIG. 20 to the position according to FIGS. 21 and 22 the actuation arm317 of the release lever 301 engages the actuation stop 16 of theshutter blade 10 and rotates the latter in a spinning movement in aclockwise direction against the action of the tension spring 13. At thesame time the release lever 301 together with its shutter actuation arm317 disengages once more from the actuation stop 16 of the shutter blade10 and rests with its cam-shaped projection against a first section, ofspiral cross-section, of the for example first control cam surface 107of the control cam member 106, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 22.

As a result of the aforedescribed spinning movement of the shutter blade10, the shutter is opened for a short time in the optical path of thelens, whereupon an image is recorded on the film inserted in the camera.The opening duration of the shutter is restricted in a predeterminedmanner since the shutter blade 10 is rapidly restored to the closedposition by its tension springs 13. In this way the shutter blade 10achieves the functional state illustrated in FIG. 22.

The per se rigid third lever arm 319 of the release lever 301 alsoparticipates in the aforedescribed swivelling movement of the releaselever 301 to open the shutter by engaging the shutter blade 10. In thisswivelling movement the lever arm 319 with its switching member 320engages the fourth lever arm 209 of the locking lever 201 of the feedlocking device and thereby swivels the locking lever 201 in such a waythat the locking lever 201 together with its first and second pawls 205,207 is lifted from the respective groove of the grooved disc 110 of theperforation wheel assembly 100 and from the knurled section of the filmfeed wheel 9, with the result that the film feed wheel 9 and theperforation wheel assembly 100 are unlocked. Although the elastic leverarm 208 of the locking lever 201 also participates in this unlockingmovement of the locking lever 201, it remains however in its detensionedstate that it had also already previously adopted.

After this unlocking of the film feed wheel 9 and perforation wheelassembly 100, the film can be moved again by one frame by manuallyactuating the film feed wheel 9. The switching procedures that takeplace are described in more detail hereinafter.

On executing this film feed movement the sprocket wheel 101 and with itthe whole perforation wheel assembly 100 are caused to rotate and turnby 180° about the rotational axis of the sprocket wheel 101. Thefunctional state after a first partial rotation of about 45° isillustrated in FIGS. 23 and 24. In the aforedescribed rotation of theperforation wheel assembly 100 by 180° the release lever 301 isdisplaced continuously in a clockwise direction as a result of theengagement of the follower 321 of the lever arm 319 and of thecam-shaped projection 318 of the lever arm 313 of the first control camsurface 107, of spiral cross-section, of the control cam 106. Thisproduces on the one hand a resetting of the release device 300 to theposition of release readiness, and on the other hand produces a loadingof the spring reservoir 208 of the feed locking device 200, as describedin more detail hereinafter.

In the resetting of the release lever 301 the actuation stop 16 of theshutter blade 10 on account of its mounting in the oblong hole 11escapes and moves downwardly for a short time against the action of thetension spring 13, without however resulting in a renewed opening of theshutter. At the same time the tension builds up again in the spring webs314, 315 once the spherical cap 309 rests against the membrane 312, withthe result that the cam-shaped projection 318 of the release lever 301slides from the first control cam surface 107 of the control cam 106 ofthe perforation wheel assembly 100 onto the cylindrical wall surface 105of the cylindrical member 104, until the perforation wheel assembly 100in the course of the aforementioned rotation by 180° has reached such anangular position that the cam-shaped projection 318 of the release lever301 rests on the partially cylindrical circumferential section 109 ofthe first control cam surface 107 of the control cam 106.

The sliding of the cam-shaped projection 318 of the release lever 301from the partially cylindrical circumferential section 109 of the firstcontrol cam surface 107 of the control cam 106 onto the cylindrical wallsurface 105 of the cylindrical member 104 leads to a practicallycomplete detensioning of the spring webs 314, 315 of the release lever301, with the result that after the perforation wheel assembly 100 hascompleted the 180° rotation, the release lever 301 reaches a positioncorresponding to the position according to FIGS. 14 and 15, but with thedifference that the positions of the first and second control camsurfaces 107, 108 of the control cam 106 of the perforation wheelassembly 100 are reversed compared to the initial state according toFIGS. 14 and 15 as a result of their intermediate rotation by 180°. Atthe same time the spring reservoir of the release device 300 formed bythe spring webs 314, 315 is practically detensioned once again.

Furthermore, as a result of the resetting of the release lever 301 toits initial position, produced by the respective control cam surface 107and 108 of the control cam 106 of the perforation wheel assembly 100,the switching member 320 of the release lever 301 comes to rest againstthe third lever arm 208 of the locking lever 201 of the feed lockingdevice and the free end of this third lever arm 208, utilising itselasticity with increasing angular displacement of the control cam 106of the perforation wheel group 100, is increasingly pushed back in thedirection of the second lever arm 206, with the result that an elastictension is increasingly built up in the third lever arm 208, the effectof which is that the locking lever 201 together with its first pawl 205is applied with increasing pressure against the grooved disc 110. Thelever accordingly engages in the groove of the grooved disc 110 facingthe pawl 205 when the perforation wheel assembly 100 has completed itsrotation of 180°. The increasing elastic deformation of the third leverarm 208 of the locking lever 201 of the feed locking devicecorresponding to the rise of the respective control cam surface 107 and108 of the control cam 106 means that the energy stored in the thirdlever arm 208 as a result of its increasing elastic deformation onlyreaches the maximum value when the sprocket wheel 101 and thus also thegrooved disc 110 have almost completed their rotation of 180°. Thespring tension in the third lever arm 208 of the locking lever 201 thusachieves its full value only shortly before the grooved disc 110 reachesthe angular position in which the first pawl 205 of the locking lever201 engages in the now presented groove 111 or 112 of the grooved disc110 and thereby locks the film feed wheel 9. On account of theengagement of this pawl 205 in the respective groove of the grooved disc110 the third lever arm 208 springs back to its tensionless startingposition, so that the tension that has built up in the lever arm 208 isdissipated once more.

Shortly before the perforation wheel assembly 100 completes its 1800rotation and the locking lever 201 together with its pawl 205 engages inthe in each case newly presented groove 111 or 112 of the grooved disc110, the follower 321 of the third lever arm 319 of the release lever301 disengages from the in each case traced control cam surface 107 or108 and from the partially cylindrical surface 109 of the control cam106 following in each case in the rotational direction of theperforation wheel assembly 100, since the angular position of thetransition from the respective partially cylindrical surface 109 of thecontrol cam 106 to the control cam surface 107 or 108 recessed from thepartially cylindrical surface 109 in the transition region and in eachcase following in the rotational direction of the perforation wheelassembly 100, is only slightly displaced relative to the angularposition of the groove 111 or 112 of the grooved disc 110. Whentherefore on rotation of the perforation wheel assembly 100 the pawl 205of the locking lever 201 engages in the groove 111 or 112 of the grooveddisc 110, the follower 321 of the lever arm 319 of the release lever 301has already shortly before this left the respective partiallycylindrical surface 109 of the control cam 106. However, despite thisthe follower 321 can no longer follow the recess of the adjacent controlcam surface 107 or 108, since the cam-shaped projection 318 of the leverarm 313 of the release lever 301 again rests against the cylindricalwall surface 105 of the cylindrical part 104 and prevents a reverserotation of the lever arm 319 of the release lever 301.

The angular displacement between the transition region of the respectivepartially cylindrical surface 109 and the adjacent control cam surface107 or 108 and the in each case associated groove 111 or 112 of thegrooved disc 110 is kept so small that there is only a very slightdanger of an undesired release of the shutter by the user of the camerabefore completion of a respective film feed by a full frame andaccordingly before completion of a 180° rotation of the perforationwheel assembly 100 in the angular range of the angle of rotation of theperforation wheel assembly, in which the follower 321 of the lever arm319 of the release lever 301 has already left the partially cylindricalsurface 109 of the control cam 106 of the perforation wheel assembly 100and is thus disengaged, whereas the locking lever 201 of the feedlocking device 200 has not yet engaged in the associated groove 111 or112 of the grooved disc 110.

As for the rest, the following comments may be made: if after taking aphotographic exposure the user of the camera accidentally does not windon the film by a full frame on account of an only partial actuation ofthe film feed wheel 9, for example the film feed is discontinued after,say, half a frame, then the perforation wheel assembly 100 too has stillnot completed the initiated rotational movement of 180°. In thisintermediate state the release lever 301 is still locked against anyrenewed actuation. The elastic third lever arm 208 of the locking lever201 is still not fully deflected and the spring reservoir formed by thethird lever arm 208 is thus still not fully loaded, so that the dangerof a deterioration of the elasticity of the third lever arm 208 as aresult of possible cold flow processes is advantageously also reducedand can in practice be ignored if the camera, after an only partiallyexecuted winding on of the film by the user, is left or kept for arelatively long time in this intermediate state before the interruptedwinding on of the film to a complete frame is completed, prior tosubsequently taking a further photographic exposure. On the other hand areserve of energy required to move the locking lever 201 to its lockingposition is built up by the preferably elastic shape of the third leverarm 208 of the locking lever 201, formed as a single integral unit,without having to provide a separate spring to displace the lockinglever 201 to the locking position.

Similar comments also apply to the energy reserve of the release device300 built up by the spring webs 314, 315.

In order that the return of the release device 300 from the disengagedposition it adopts after a release of the shutter to the readinessposition for a renewed release of the shutter is effected by the controlelement 104, 106 of the perforation wheel assembly, which moves onlyduring feeding of the film, an accidental renewed release of the shutterafter an intentional release of the shutter and before the film has beenwound on is not possible, which is why in the aforedescribed camera aseparate locking device to prevent a double exposure preferably does nothave to be provided.

The aforedescribed embodiment of a shutter release device is an exampleof the embodiment of the general teaching, according to which in acamera with a film feed device 9 for feeding a light-sensitive filmarranged in the camera, a photographic shutter 10 arranged in theoptical path for taking exposures and intended for the image-producingexposure of the light-sensitive film, and a shutter release device 300which before the release of the shutter adopts a readiness position andafter the release of the shutter adopts a disengaged position and has aspring reservoir 314, 315 that is tensioned by displacement of theshutter release device from the readiness position to the disengagedposition in order to actuate the shutter 10, the shutter release devicebeing able to return from the disengaged position to the readinessposition, a spring reservoir 314, 315 of the shutter release device 300should be provided in such a way that it is not under tension in thereadiness position and in the disengaged position, and a control element104, 106 that moves during feeding of the film should be provided forreturning the shutter release device 300 from the disengaged position tothe readiness position. Preferably the spring reservoir 314, 315, whichis not under tension in the loading position of the shutter releasedevice 300, is temporarily tensioned and then detensioned once againduring the return of the shutter release device to the readinessposition.

The shutter release device 300 may preferably have a first follower 318,cooperating with the control element 104, 106, for tensioning anddetensioning the spring reservoir 314, 315, this first follower 318 fordetensioning the spring reservoir 314, 315 being guided over adisengagement edge 105 a of the control element 104, 106. In additionthe shutter release device 300 may have a second follower 321cooperating with the control element 104, 106, for returning the shutterrelease device 300 from the disengaged position to the release readinessposition.

The control element 104, 106 may have at least one control cam surface107, 108 that can be traced by the first follower 318 and the secondfollower 321 of the shutter release device 300.

Preferably the shutter release device 300 may have a multi-arm releaselever 301 that contains the spring reservoir 314, 315 on a lever arm(313). In this connection the spring reservoir 314, 315 may be formed byone or more elastic webs of the lever arm 313, which in turn may containthe first follower 318. The lever arm 313 may have a shutter actuationmember 317 that can cooperate with the shutter 10 via a unilaterallyacting coupling 16.

Preferably the second follower 321 may be arranged on a further leverarm 319 of the release lever 301. This second follower can be releasedfrom the control element 104, 106 when the shutter release device 300 isin the release readiness position. In particular, the release of thesecond follower 321 from the control element 104, 106 may take placeshortly before completion of the film feeding procedure by in each caseone frame. Preferably the release of the second follower 321 from thecontrol element 104, 106 takes place shortly before a further controldevice 110 for a feed locking device 200 of the camera effects themovement of the feed locking device 200 to a locking position.

The control element 104, 106 for the shutter release device 300 and thefurther control device 110 for the feed locking device 200 maypreferably be connected to one another and preferably also in animmovable manner to a sprocket wheel 101 of the camera. The controlelement 104, 106 and/or the further control device 110 may together witha sprocket wheel 101 of the camera be formed as a single integral unitfrom plastics material.

Preferably the further lever arm 319 of the release lever 301 may have aswitching member 320 that cooperates with a feed locking device 200 ofthe camera. A further lever arm 308 of the release lever 301 may form arelease key with a release handle 312. The release lever 301 togetherwith the lever arms 308, 313, 319 and including the spring reservoir314, 315 may be formed as a single integral unit from plastics material.Preferably the release lever 301 together with a carrier plate 302 ofthe camera is formed as a single integral unit from plastics materialand is rotatably connected thereto via torsionally non-rigid connectionmembers 304, 305.

Image (Exposure) Counting Device

The sprocket wheel 101 is connected to an image counting device 400 thatis described by way of several embodiments hereinafter. In theseembodiments the image counting device counts the number of exposuresthat have already been taken and indicates in each case how manyexposures still remain before the film contained in the camera is fullyused up.

In the aforementioned embodiments a sequence of 27 exposures can betaken in succession on a film inserted in the camera, after an emptyframe corresponding to a conventional film leader strip and precedingthe first exposure, the said sequence also being followed by one or moreempty frames corresponding to a conventional film end strip. In order tonotify the user of the camera how many exposures still remain on thefilm used in each case, the image counting device 400, which ispreferably integrally and rigidly connected to the film feed device ofthe camera, is set so as to count the 28 countable objects consisting ofone empty frame and 27 exposures. In the illustrated embodiments theimage counting device counts in the succession of feed steps involved inthe image-producing film feed, starting from a “Start” empty frame,backwards from the exposure number 27 to the exposure number 1 and thento a final “End” empty frame.

A first preferred embodiment of this image counting device 400 is shownin FIGS. 25 to 27 and is described in more detail hereinafter.

The core component of the image counting device 400 is an image countingdisc 401 that is arranged in a flat depression 403 of a plate 402located immediately underneath the upper housing wall of the camera andsecured to the core assembly 2. This flat depression 403 forms a carriertray in which the image counting disc 401, which is coupled to theeccentric pin 114 of the perforation wheel assembly 100, is rotatablyand displaceably mounted in a manner described in more detailhereinafter.

The image counting disc 401, shown enlarged in FIG. 26, is formed as athin circular small plate preferably of plastics material and comprisesan upper surface 404 and a lower surface 405. The upper surface 404 ofthe image counting disc 401 includes a set of 28 counting markscorresponding to the number of 28 objects to be counted, which aredescribed in more detail hereinbelow.

The image counting disc 401 has on its external, circular circumferencea set of 14 notch-shaped indents, hereinafter termed notches 406 for thesake of brevity, and which are distributed at constant angular intervalsaround the circumference of the image counting disc 401. The number ofnotches 406 corresponds to half the number of counting marks, totalling28, arranged on the image counting disc 401. The notches 406 are in eachcase wedge-shaped and arranged so that their wedge vertices point ineach case towards the mid point of the image counting disc 401 and lieon a notch circle concentric with the mid point of the image countingdisc 401. Trapezoidal teeth 407 are formed between every two adjacentnotches 406 and together form on the image counting disc 401 a toothedring 408 consisting of 14 teeth 407.

The 28 counting marks are arranged on the image counting disc 401, halfand half on two counting mark circles 409, 410 concentric with thecentre of the image counting disc 401. The radius of the inner countingmark circle 409 is preferably less than and the radius of the outercounting mark circle 410 is preferably equal to or greater than theradius of the notched circle on which the wedge vertices of the notches406 lie. The mutual interspacing of the two counting mark circles 409,410 corresponds to a maximum radial displacement of the image countingdisc 401 described in more detail hereinbelow. A set of 14 innercounting marks 411 is arranged on the inner counting mark circle 409;these inner counting marks lie in each case opposite the wedge verticesof the notches 406 and are formed by even numbers from 2 to 26 as wellas by the empty frame symbol “→”. Likewise a set of 14 outer countingmarks 412 is arranged on the outer counting mark circle 410, in eachcase on or near the teeth 407 between the notches 406, and on account ofthe restricted space available these are represented simply by identicaldotted marks. In this connection these dotted counting marks 412 lyingon the outer counting mark circle 410 are in each case situatedangularly displaced between two adjacent inner counting marks 411,identified by numbers or by the empty frame symbol, of the innercounting mark circle 409.

The diameter of the image counting disc 401, being the distance betweenthe outer edges of in each case two diametrically opposite teeth 407 ofthe toothed ring 408, is less than the diameter of the carrier tray 403of the plate 402, as is evident for example from FIG. 26. Thisarrangement permits a displacement of the image counting disc 401together with its lower surface 405 within the carrier tray 403 of theplate along the floor of the said carrier plate 403 in directionsperpendicular to a mid axis of the image counting disc.

A first arresting tooth 413 and a second arresting tooth 414 are formedon the circumferential edge of the floor or on the circumferential innerwall, projecting from the said floor, of the circular carrier tray 403.The two arresting teeth 413, 414 are arranged almost diametricallyopposite to one another in the illustrated embodiment, in which 14notches 406 and 14 teeth 407 of the toothed ring 408 are provided, thesecond arresting tooth 414 being angularly displaced in ananti-clockwise direction from the position of an exactly diametricalarrangement, by half the width of a tooth 407 of the toothed ring 408 ofthe image counting disc 401. The first and second arresting teeth 413,414 are in each case formed so that their teeth vertices in each caseproject radially into the interior of the carrier tray 403 and canengage in the notches 406 between in each case adjacent teeth 407 of theimage counting disc 401. In this connection the diameter of the imagecounting disc 401 is chosen so that at its maximum possible displacementin the direction of one or other of the arresting teeth 413, 414, ineach case only one or other of the two arresting teeth 413, 414 canengage in a notch 406 and thus between teeth 407 of the toothed ring 408of the image counting disc 401, whereas the in each case other arrestingtooth lies outside the toothed ring 408 without engaging in one of thenotches 406. On the other hand the diameter of the image counting disc401 is sufficiently large that both arresting teeth 407 cannot bedisengaged at the same time from the image counting disc 401.Consequently, during transverse displacements of the image counting disc401 between the two arresting teeth 413, 414, the latter alternatelyfully engage with the toothed ring 408 of the image counting disc 401,as is described in more detail hereinafter.

The rear half cover 4 of the camera housing has on its upper surface andat a small distance above the image counting disc 401 a T-shapedinspection window 415 that is of sufficient length in the radialdirection of the image counting disc 401 that, depending in each case onthe position of the image counting disc 401 within the carrier tray 403of the plate 402, inner counting marks 411 and outer counting marks 412of respectively the inner and outer counting marks circle 409, 410 canbe visually observed by the camera user through the inspection window415, alternately either jointly or simply only an inner counting mark411 of the inner counting mark circle 409. The inspection window 115thus forms a display device cooperating with the counting marks 411, 412of the image counting disc 401, the said image counting disc being ableto be displaced relative to the display device.

The image counting disc 401 is driven by feeding the film and to thisend is kinematically connected to the film feed device or to the filmmetering means, preferably in such a way that the image counting disc401 is rigidly coupled to the sprocket wheel 101 of the perforationwheel assembly 100 shown in a simplified manner in FIG. 27, whichengages in the edge perforations of the film inserted in the camera. Tothis end the shaft frustum 113 of the perforation wheel assembly 100shown in detail in FIGS. 4 and 5 passes through an opening 416 of thecarrier tray 103 of the plate 102, the eccentric pin 114 engaging in acentral opening 417 of the image counting disc 401, as is clear inparticular from FIG. 26. The effective diameter of the opening 416 ofthe carrier tray 403 is sufficiently large that the eccentric pin 114 ofthe perforation wheel assembly can move therein during its rotationalong a circular path. On the other hand the effective diameter of thecentral opening 417 of the image counting disc 401 is only slightlylarger than the diameter of the eccentric pin 114, so that the lattercan rotate during the rotation of the perforation wheel assembly 100 inthis central opening 417 of the image counting disc 401, but is forcedto entrain the image counting disc 401 in the circular movement of theeccentric pin 114.

Since in the illustrated embodiment the sprocket wheel 101 engaging inthe edge perforations of the film is designed as regards itscircumference so that in each case it, executes a rotation of 180°during feeding of the film by one frame, the shaft frustum 113 of theperforation wheel assembly 100 carrying the eccentric pin 114 andconnected to the sprocket wheel 101 in each case also rotates by 180°per frame about its mid axis.

The adjustment of the image counting disc 401 by means of the eccentricpin 114 of the perforation wheel assembly 100 with the cooperation ofthe arresting teeth 413, 414, is described in more detail hereinafter,and more specifically by way of example in the phases in which, onfeeding the film by two successive frames, the image counting disc 401is moved from the image number 14 through the image number 13 to theimage number 12.

FIG. 27(a) shows the state in which the counting mark identified by thenumber “14” of the image counting disc 401 is visible through theinspection window 415, whereby the user of the camera is informed thatthe film contained in the camera is in a feed state in which 14exposures still remain before the film is completely used. In thisposition of the image counting disc 401 only one counting mark 411 ofthe inner counting mark circle 409, and no counting mark 412 of theouter counting mark circle 410, is thus visible in the inspection window415.

If the user of the camera had taken a picture with the number 14counting backwards on the film, then before taking the next exposure theuser of the camera actuates the film feed wheel 9 in order to feed thefilm to the position to take an exposure with the number 13, countingbackwards, the image counting disc 401 being moved to a position todisplay the counting mark associated with this image number. This isachieved in the following way.

During the feed of the film from the position to take the picturenumbered 14 counting backwards by one frame to the position to take apicture numbered 13 counting backwards, the sprocket wheel 101 togetherwith the shaft frustum 113 and the eccentric pin 114 arranged on thefront face thereof rotate by 180° in an anti-clockwise directionaccording to the successive representations shown in FIGS. 27(a) to27(d). The image counting disc 401, which in the position according toFIG. 27(a) is engaged with the first arresting tooth 413 but is freefrom the opposite second arresting tooth 414, is displaced in thepartial step going from FIG. 27(a) to FIG. 27(b) in a clockwisedirection from the eccentric pin 114 on account of the locking andsupporting action of the first arresting tooth 413, in a displacementmovement to the right and upwards and in a superimposed rotationalmovement by a small angular amount, the said rotational movement arisingfrom the fact that the image counting disc 401 is swivelled in aclockwise direction by the eccentric pin 114 about a support pointformed by the first arresting tooth 413.

In this disc and swiveling movement the first arresting tooth 413graduallly releases the notch 406 lying close to the counting mark “14”,in which it first of all engaged, and the second arresting tooth 414gradually comes into engagement with the notch close to the roughlydiametrically opposite counting mark numbered “26”.

This procedure continues in the transition from the position accordingto FIG. 27(b) to the position acccording to FIG. 27(c), the imagecounting disc 401 being further displaced upwardly from the eccentricpin 114 executing a circular path of 180°, with the result that on theone hand the first arresting tooth 413 completely releases the notchclose to the counting mark “14” and on the other hand the secondarresting tooth 414 engages deeper in the notch close to the countingmark “26”. This procedure involving the transfer of the image countingdisc 401 from the first arresting tooth 413 to the second arrestingtooth 414 corresponding to a film feed by one frame is completed whenthe aforedescribed 180° rotation of the perforation wheel assembly 100is completed and the image counting disc 401 is thereby rotated so farin the clockwise direction and displaced upwardly by the eccentric pin114 that the image counting disc 401 has reached the position accordingto FIG. 27(d). The first arresting tooth is then situated opposite thattooth 407 of the toothed ring 408 of the image counting disc 401 that ispositioned angularly between the counting marks “14” and “12”, while thesecond arresting tooth 414 has fully engaged in the notch close to thecounting mark “26”. The resulting displacement movement that the imagecounting disc 401 executes in the transition from the position accordingto FIG. 27(a) to the position according to FIG. 27(d) corresponds to thevalue, defined in length units, of the maximum possible displacement ofthe image counting disc 401.

In the position of the image counting disc 401 according to FIG. 27(d),both the two counting marks “14” and “12” of the inner counting markcircle as well as the dotted counting marks of the outer counting markcircle situated angularly between these two counting marks are allvisible in the inspection window 415. This display in the inspectionwindow 415 indicates to the observer that the counting mark pointsituated angularly between the two counting marks “14” and “12” andrecognisable in the inspection window 415 marks the counting state “13”and thus the exposure number “13”. The observer is thereby notified thata further 13 exposures still remain, and the film is wound ready in aposition to take the photograph numbered 13 counting backwards.

If after taking a photograph with the number 13 counting backwards thefilm is wound on by one further frame from the position in which aphotograph with the number 13 counting backwards was taken to theposition to take a photograph with the number 12 counting backwards, thesprocket wheel 101 engaging in the film perforations thus rotatestogether with the shaft frustum 113 by a further 180°, whereupon theeccentric pin 114 completes a further circular movement by 180° in theclockwise direction according to the sequence shown in FIGS. 27(d) to27(h).

The image counting disc 401, which in the position according to FIG.27(d) is in engagement with the second arresting tooth 414 but is freefrom the oppositely situated first arresting tooth 413, therebyundergoes a displacement movement to the left and downwards,corresponding to the partial step from FIG. 27(d) to FIG. 27(e), fromthe eccentric pin 114 on account of the locking and supporting action ofthe second arresting tooth 414, and in a superimposed rotationalmovement is displaced in a clockwise direction by a small angularamount, the said rotational movement occurring on account of the factthat the counting mark disc 401 is swivelled in an anti-clockwisedirection by the eccentric pin 114 about a supporting point formed bythe vertex of the second arresting tooth 414.

In this disc and swivelling movement of the image counting disc 401 thesecond arresting tooth 414 gradually releases the notch lying close tothe counting mark “26”, in which it engaged, and the first arrestingtooth 413 gradually engages again with the image counting disc 401, butnow with the notch close to the counting mark “12”. This procedureinvolved in the transition from the position according to FIG. 27(e) tothe positions according to FIGS. 27(f) and 27(g) continues, the imagecounting disc 401 being displaced further downwardly from the eccentricpin 114, with the result that on the one hand the second arresting tooth414 completely releases the notch close to the counting mark “26”, andon the other hand the first arresting tooth 413 engages deeper in thenotch close to the counting mark “12”. This procedure involving thetransfer of the image counting disc 401 from the second arresting tooth414 to the first arresting tooth 413 corresponding to a film feed byagain one frame is completed when the perforation wheel assembly 100 hascompleted the aforementioned further rotation by 180° and the imagecounting disc 401 is rotated so far in the clockwise direction anddisplaced downwardly by the eccentric pin 114, that the image countingdisc 401 has reached the position according to FIG. 27(h). The secondarresting tooth 414 then lies opposite that tooth 407 of the toothedring 408 of the image counting disc 401 that is located angularlybetween the counting marks “26” and “24”, whereas the first arrestingtooth 413 has engaged fully in the notch close to the counting mark“12”.

In this position of the image counting disc 401 only the counting mark“12” of the inner counting mark circle 409 is visible in the inspectionwindow 415. The observer is thus notified that a further 12 photographscan be taken and the film is wound ready in a position to take thephotograph numbered 12 counting backwards.

The aforedescribed switching procedure from the display of the countingmark “14” up to the display of the dotted counting mark locatedangularly between the counting marks “14” and “12”, and which isassociated with the photograph number “13” corresponding to a film feedby one frame as well as the next following switching procedure from thedisplay of this counting mark up to the display of the counting mark“12” corresponding to a film feed by one further frame, have similarlyalso already taken place in the preceding film feed procedures, notdescribed in more detail above, by in each case two successive frames,and are repeated in the following film feed procedures by in each casetwo further successive frames, until the last of the available exposureson the film has been taken and the empty frame symbol “→” of the innercounting mark circle 409 appears in the inspection window 115.

In this adjustment position the image counting disc 401 can be preventedfrom rotating further during continued feed of the film, for whichpurpose either a friction coupling (not shown in more detail) or aspring travel path may be provided in the force transmission pathbetween the sprocket wheel 101 and the image counting disc 401, as isalso explained in more detail hereinbelow in the course of thedescription of a further embodiment.

During the film feed by in each case two successive frames the imagecounting disc 401 accordingly in each case executes a gyratory movementconsisting of a single backwards-and-forwards movement between thearresting teeth 413, 414 and a superimposed rotational movement equal tothe angular width of a tooth 407 of the toothed ring 408 of the imagecounting disc 401, as a result of which during the film feed by in eachcase successive frames in the repeating gyratory movement of the imagecounting disc 401, the counting marks successively appear under theinspection window 115 in the manner described above. In the illustratedembodiment the rotation of the image counting disc 401 resulting fromthe gyratory movements occurs in the opposite direction to the rotationof the sprocket wheel 101.

As has already been mentioned above, each time after a photograph hasbeen taken on the film the sprocket wheel 101 that engages with the edgeperforations of the film and is caused to rotate by one frame during thefeeding of the film executes a rotational movement of 180°, whereby theimage counting disc 401 rigidly coupled to the sprocket wheel 101 isrotated by an angular amount of ca. 12.9° about its mid point in thearrangement described above, so as to display a total of 28 countingmarks comprising a total of 27 exposures plus one additional empty framewith each film feeding step. A reduction ratio of ca. 14:1 between thesprocket wheel 101 and the image counting disc 401 is thereby achieved.

The aforedescribed image counting device 400 accordingly manages tooperate without a pawl drive between the sprocket wheel 101 and imagecounting disc 401. Despite the positive engagement between the sprocketwheel 101 and image counting disc 401, there is also no need to providea toothed wheel or belt-type reduction gearing between the sprocketwheel 101 and the image counting disc 401. Furthermore the countingdevice 400 according to the invention has the advantage of an extremelyflat and therefore extremely space-saving design and construction andcan be installed using a simple plug-in technique, which also favours anautomated installation of the image counting device and the othercomponents of the camera cooperating therewith.

If the camera, in a departure from the embodiment described above, isdesigned so that the maximum number of photographs that can be taken(including one or more empty frames) per film is greater than or lessthan 28 counting objects, the number of notches 406 and teeth 407 lyingtherebetween of the toothed ring 408 of the image counting disc 401 thatare to be provided on the said image counting disc 401 must be matchedso that the number of these notches 406 and teeth 407 lying therebetweencorresponds in each case to half this maximum number of countingobjects. The reduction ratio involved in the rotation of the imagecounting disc 401 is thereby also correspondingly changed depending onthe rotation of the sprocket wheel 101.

With an image counting device for counting a number of exposuresdiffering from the maximum number of 28 exposures (including emptyframes) and in a corresponding matching of the number of notches 406 andteeth 407 on the image counting disc 401, it may also happen that thetwo arresting teeth 413, 414 are arranged exactly diametrically oppositeone another and/or with complete engagement of one of the two arrestingteeth 413, 414 in a notch 406 of the image counting disc 401 the in eachcase other arresting tooth is not situated opposite a tooth of thetoothed ring but instead opposite a notch of the image counting disc401, without however in this switching state engaging in this notch.

These adaptations also apply as appropriate to the embodiments describedhereinafter.

Whereas in the embodiment according to FIGS. 25 to 27 the notches 406together with the teeth 407 formed therebetween are arranged in theplane of the counting marks on the image counting disc 401, according tofurther embodiments that are illustrated in FIGS. 28 to 31 thearrangement may also be such that only the inner and outer countingmarks lying on the two counting mark circles 409, 410 are arranged onthe upwardly directed surface 404 of the image counting disc 401,whereas the notches 406 together with the teeth 407 of the toothed ring408 formed therebetween are provided only on the lower surface 405 ofthe image counting disc 401. This has the advantage that the uppersurface 404 of the image counting disc 401, sections of which are ineach case visible through the inspection window 115, forms an enclosedcircular area with a smooth circumferential edge and the notches 406arranged on the lower surface 405 of the image counting disc 401 arethereby obscured and are not visible through the inspection window 115when the image counting disc 401 is displaced, which contributes to theclarity of the representation of the counting marks when observed in theinspection window 115 by the user of the camera. In this connection thearresting teeth 413, 414 engaging alternately in the notches 406 arearranged so deeply within the carrier tray 403 that an upper layer ofthe image counting disc 401, forming the upper surface 404, can slideover and off the arresting teeth 413, 414.

Instead of two arresting teeth 413, 414 according to the embodimentdescribed above, three or more arresting teeth may also be provided onthe circumference of the carrier tray 403 for cooperation with thetoothed ring 408 of the image counting disc 401.

It is also possible, instead of the arresting teeth 413, 414 and thenotches 406 of the image counting disc 401 cooperating therewith, toprovide differently formed catch or arresting devices which alternatelyretain the image counting disc 401 on roughly opposite facing catch orarresting points in such a way that on the rotation of the perforationwheel assembly 100, a rotation of the image counting disc 401 takesplace alternately about these catch or arresting points in a similarmanner to the embodiment described with the aid of FIGS. 25 to 27, inwhich a rotation of the image counting disc 401 takes place alternatelyabout one or other of the arresting teeth 413, 414.

For example, according to a further embodiment of the invention thesecond arresting tooth 414 can be replaced by a clamping device actingin a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the sprocket wheel101, which clamping device according to FIGS. 30 and 31 has a one-armspring lever 420 secured to a housing part of the core assembly 2 and aspherical cap 421 provided on its free end, which cap is forced underthe action of a spring-type pretensioning of the spring lever 420against the upper surface 404 of the image counting disc 401. The imagecounting disc 401 can be frictionally displaced and rotated underneaththe impact point of the spherical cap 421 in the same way as is shown indetail in FIGS. 27(a) to 27(h). As a departure therefrom the clampingdevice 420, 421 may also be formed by catch means.

A further embodiment of the image counting device according to theinvention is illustrated in FIGS. 32 to 34. In this embodiment the imagecounting disc 401 is subdivided into an outer ring region 422 and aninner ring region 423. The outer ring region 422 has notches 406 andteeth 407 of the toothed ring 408 and also inner and outer countingmarks corresponding to FIGS. 25 to 28. The central opening 417 of theimage counting disc 401 is located in the inner ring region 423. Theouter and inner ring regions 422, 423 are connected to one another byfor example three elastic connecting members 424, 425, 426, in whichconnection the two ring regions 422, 423 and the elastic connectingmembers 424, 425, 426 may be formed as a single integral unit fromplastics material.

The elastic connecting members 424, 425, 426 have the effect that, afterthe maximum possible number of photographs have been taken, the imagecounting disc 401 after reaching a corresponding end position can beprevented by means of a counting disc locking device from executingfurther rotation, even though in the subsequent rewinding of the endstrip into the film cassette provided in the camera, the sprocket wheel101 is rotated further by the film and thus the eccentric pin 114 alsorotates further. Its movement and a rotating movement of the inner ringregion of the image counting disc 401 that is thereby produced isabsorbed by a corresponding deformation of the elastic connectingmembers 424, 425, 426 and is therefore not transmitted to the outer ringregion of the image counting disc 401.

The counting disc locking device and its mode of action are described inmore detail hereinafter.

The image counting disc 401 has on its lower surface 405 an axiallyprojecting stop means 427. In addition the counting disc locking deviceincludes a locking lever 428 with a terminally situated pawl 429 and anoblong hole 430 in which engages a bearing pin 431 integral with thehousing, with the result that the locking lever 428 can rotate about thebearing pin 431 under the action of a tension spring 432 engaging theother end of the locking lever 428, and can execute a certain degree oflongitudinal displacement on account of the oblong hole 430.

In the previously adjusted starting position of the image counting disc401 according to FIG. 32, in which the “Start” and “End” symbol “→” isdisplayed in the inspection window 115, the locking lever 428 togetherwith its pawl 429 bears radially against the stop means 427 of the imagecounting disc 401, without however preventing the latter rotating. Ifthe user of the camera then actuates the film feed wheel 9 to effectexposure-to-exposure feed of the film, the image counting disc 401 thusrotates in a clockwise direction during the film feeding procedure by ineach case two successive frames in in each case successive movementphases according to FIG. 27(a) to FIG. 27(h), as is indicated in FIGS.32 to 34 by an arrow A located next to the image counting disc 401. Inthis connection the elastic connecting members 424, 425, 426 are justsufficiently stiff so that in these movement phases there is no relativemovement between the inner ring region 421 and outer ring region 420 ofthe image counting disc 401.

Shortly after the image counting disc 401 has left the “Start” position,the locking lever 428 together with its pawl 429 slides from the stopmeans 427 of the image counting disc 401 and rotates slightly about itsbearing pin 431 in a clockwise direction until it comes to rest againsta pin 433 integral with the housing. This can be seen in FIG. 33, inwhich the film feed has already progressed so far that the imagecounting disc 401 adopts for example a position in which it displays theexposure number “14”. If after further film feeding steps the lastexposure from the maximum possible number of exposures has been taken,the image counting disc 401 reaches the “End” position according to FIG.34, in which the stop means 427 of the image counting disc 401 comes torest against the pawl 429 of the locking lever 428 and thereby blocksany further rotation of the image counting disc 401 as soon as thelocking lever 428 has been entrained by the image counting disc 401along the length of the oblong hole 430. In this position of the imagecounting disc 401 the first arresting tooth 413 engages in the toothedring 408 of the image counting disc 401, while the “→” symbol visiblethrough the inspection window 415 indicates that the end strip of thefilm can now also be wound into the film cassette contained in thecamera by repeated actuation of the film feed wheel 9. The rotatingmovement transmitted from the eccentric pin 114 to the inner ring region423 of the image counting disc 401 cannot be transmitted to the outerring region 422 of the image counting disc 401 as a result of the arrestof the latter, the relative movements occurring between the inner ringregion 423 and the outer ring region 422 of the image counting discbeing compensated by a pulsing movement of the elastic connectingmembers 424, 425, 426.

A further embodiment of an image counting device is described in moredetail hereinafter with the aid of FIGS. 35 to 43. This device comprisesin addition a further control device described in more detail below, bymeans of which after taking a last photograph on a film inserted in thecamera, the locking lever 201 of the feed locking device 200 of thecamera can be disengaged, so that an end strip of the film followingafter the film section containing the last exposure can be wound in onego onto the film cassette inserted into the camera. For the sake ofclarity, the second lever arm 313 together with its associated parts isomitted in FIGS. 36 to 43 in the illustration of the release lever 301of the shutter release device 300 described above, although this secondlever arm 313 together with its associated parts is also present in thisembodiment.

In this embodiment according to FIGS. 35 to 43 the image counting disc401 is, as regards the arrangement of the teeth 407 of the toothed ring408 on the underside 405 of the image counting disc 401, formedsubstantially corresponding to the embodiment according to FIGS. 28 and29, though it differs from the latter in that in the direction ofrotation of the image counting disc 401, after the counting mark for theexposure number 27 three successive “→” symbols are provided on theinner counting mark circle 409 to indicate an end strip of the film, anda “E” symbol is provided to indicate the end of the film, i.e. toindicate the end of the feed of the end strip of the film. The divisionof the toothed ring 408 is matched corresponding to the additionalinclusion of these symbols in the circle of the counting marks on theinner counting mark circle 409, i.e. the number of notches 406 wasappropriately increased with a corresponding reduction in their mutualinterspacing. Furthermore there is a series of empty frame symbols “→”on the outer counting mark circle 410 between the counting mark for theexposure numbered “27” and the counting mark for the exposure numbered“1”.

The locking lever 201 of the feed locking device 200 is controlled bythe image counting disc 401 in such a way that on rotation of theperforation wheel assembly 100 the lever is prevented from engaging inthe grooves 111, 112 of the grooved disc and is thus renderedinoperative if and until on feeding the film by the length of its endstrip by continued actuation of the film feed wheel 9, the displaysymbols “→” and “E”, which follow the counting mark indicating theexposure number 1, appear in the inspection window 415.

The image counting disc 401 includes for this purpose the aforementionedcontrol or blocking device, which in the illustrated embodiment isformed so that a longitudinally extending arcuate control or blockingstop 440 is arranged on the underside 405 of the counting disc 401 alongan inner control circle, and four wedge-shaped control or blocking stops441, 442, 443, 444 having the same mutual interspacing, are arranged onan outer control circle. These control stops 440, 441, 442, 443, 444 arein each case shown cross-hatched for better recognition in FIGS. 35 to45. The two aforementioned control circles are concentric with the midpoint of the image counting disc 401. The mutual interspacing of thesetwo control circles is exactly the same size as the mutual interspacingof the inner counting mark circle 409 and the outer counting mark circle410 on the image counting disc 401. As FIG. 37 and following figuresshow, the aforementioned control stops 440, 441, 442, 443, 444 in eachcase project in an axial direction downwardly from the underside 405 ofthe image counting disc 401 and are therefore not visible from above tothe observer. The length of the arcuate control stop 440 and the numberof wedge-shaped control stops 441, 442, 443, 444 correspond to thelength of the end strip of the film. The longer the end strip, thelonger the arcuate control stop 440 and therefore the larger the numberof wedge-shaped control stops 441, 442, 443, 444.

Furthermore in the embodiment according to FIGS. 35 to 43 the lockinglever 201 comprises in the vicinity of its first locking pawl 405 a bolt210 projecting upwardly and parallel to the axis of rotation 203 of thelocking lever, the free end of which bolt can on rotation of the lockinglever 201 in a clockwise direction about the axis of rotation 202alternately come into contact with in each case one of the control stops440, 441, 442, 443, 444 of the image counting disc 401.

FIGS. 36 and 37 show the functional state in which the camera is readyto take the last photograph, i.e. the photograph with the exposurenumber 1. Accordingly the locking lever 201 is in the locking position,i.e. is in engagement with the knurled section of the film feed wheel 9and in engagement with one of the grooves 111, 112 of the grooved disc110 of the perforation wheel assembly 100, while the counting marknumbered “1” is displayed in the inspection window 415. In order to takethe photograph numbered “1” the release membrane 312 is actuated,whereupon the switching member 320 of the third lever arm 319 of therelease lever 301 swivels the locking lever 201 about its axis 203 in ananti-clockwise direction, so that it reaches the position according toFIGS. 38 and 39. In this way the film feed wheel 9 and the grooved disc110 of the perforation wheel assembly 100 are released once more fromthe locking lever 201.

If the user of the camera now continues to turn the film feed wheel 9,then after one revolution of the sprocket wheel 101 by 180° the imagecounting disc 401 reaches the position according to FIGS. 40 and 41, inwhich the first of the empty frame symbols “→” following the countingmark “1” is displayed in the inspection window 415 and on account of therotational and displacement movement of the image counting disc 401according to FIGS. 27(a) to 27(d) the first of the stops 441, 442, 443,444 of the outer control circle is now located opposite the bolt 210 ofthe locking lever 201, as is shown in FIGS. 40 and 41. The imagecounting disc 401 has thus adopted a position in which it is releasedfrom the first arresting tooth 413 and engaged by the second arrestingtooth 414. On account of the blocking action of the aforementionedcontrol stop 441 of the image counting disc 401 the locking lever 201cannot engage in the available groove 111 or 112 of the grooved disc 110despite the action of the spring tension that has built up in the thirdlever arm 208 of the locking lever 201, with the result that a lockingof the film feed wheel 9 of the film feed device by the locking lever201 does not occur.

Accordingly the user of the camera can, corresponding to the informationthat he receives via the display symbol “→” in the inspection window415, continue to operate the film feed wheel 9 and thus continue thefilm feed procedure, whereby the end strip of the film traverses theexposure unit in the camera. When the sprocket wheel 101 driven by thefilm has completed a further rotation of 180°, the image counting disc401 in its rotational and displacement movement according to FIGS. 27(e)to 27(h) has reached the position according to FIG. 27(h) or 27(a), inwhich it is released once more from the second arresting tooth 414 butis engaged once more by the first arresting tooth 413. In thisconnection, although the first control stop 441 of the outer controlcircle of the image counting disc 401 has released the bolt 210 of thelocking lever 201, so that the said bolt 210 was able to engage in thegap between the first control stop 441 and the second control stop 442of the outer control circle of the image counting disc 401, it nowhowever strikes the arcuate inner control stop 440 of the image countingdisc 401, as illustrated in FIGS. 42 and 43. On account of thetransverse displacement of the image counting disc 401 that takes place,the locking lever 201 adopts the same angular position in relation toits axis of rotation 403 that it already had in the preceding phase ofthe sequence of operations, when it rested against the first controlstop 441 of the outer control circle. The locking lever 201 is thus oncemore prevented from engaging in a newly available groove of the grooves111, 112 of the grooved disc 110 and thereby locking the film feed wheel9. The film feed thus continues to remain unlocked, and the first andsecond of the display symbols “→” of the outer counting mark circle 409of the image counting disc 401 are simultaneously visible in theinspection window 415.

Since the film feed device remains unlocked the user of the camera cancontinue to actuate the film feed wheel 9 unhindered, the aforementionedprocedures being in principle repeated, though with the proviso that nowsuccessively the second control stop 442, the third control stop 443 andthe fourth control stop 444 of the outer control circle of the imagecounting disc 401, and in the same way as previously the first controlstop 441 of this outer control circle, will stand opposite the bolt 210of the first locking pawl 205 of the locking lever 201, and at intervalsthe bolt 210 of the locking lever 201 will appear in each case at otherregions of the longitudinally extending inner control stop 440 of theimage counting disc 401. At the end of these repeating procedures the“End” symbol “E” of the image counting disc 401 appears in theinspection window 415, which informs the user that the film feed hasbeen completed and also that the end strip of the film has been fullywound onto the film cassette (not shown) arranged in the camera.

The camera, which is preferably designed for one-off use, can now begiven by the user to a film developing and copying service, where thefilm cassette together with the exposed film is removed from the cameraand the exposed film contained therein can be processed by thedeveloping and copying service in accordance with the user'sinstructions, while the camera is disposed of or sent for recycling.

The outer control stops 441, 442, 443 and 444 as well as the innerarcuate control stop 440 on the underside 405 of the image counting disc401 thus constitute a control device that serves to render the lockinglever 201 of the feed locking device 200 of the camera inoperable duringthe rotation of the image counting disc 401 within certain angularranges, so that the film feed wheel 9 of the film feed device of thecamera remains permanently unlocked while feeding the end strip of thefilm through the exposure unit of the camera. This control deviceresults from the image counting disc 401 and has on account of thegyratory reciprocating movement of the image counting disc 401 along thefloor of the carrier tray 403, two control regions 440 and 441, 442,443, 444 that are displaced relative to one another in a radialdirection corresponding to this reciprocatory movement of the imagecounting disc 401 and come into operation alternately in conformity withthis reciprocatory movement.

In the image counting device 400 described above the counting marks mayalso be arranged on the image counting disc 401 so that, instead of animage counting in decreasing numerical order, image counting takes placein increasing numerical order.

Since in the last described embodiment the image counting disc 401 isnot arrested at the end of a whole counting procedure, after a countinghas been carried out in a certain sequence a smooth changeover may bemade to a counting sequence in reverse order, which may be advantageouswhen winding a film in the camera backwards or forwards for editingpurposes before starting the frame-by-frame exposure or after completionof the frame-by-frame exposure of the film.

If as a departure from the illustrated embodiments odd numbers areprovided as external counting marks instead of the dotted externalcounting marks of the external counting mark circle 410, the inspectionwindow 415 can then be in the form of a radially extending rectangle ora circle, without the necessity for a transverse extension of theinspection window 415 corresponding to the horizontal bar of the T-shapeshown in the drawings.

The image counting device described above can also be used if thesprocket wheel 101 is designed so that it is rotated not by 180° butinstead by 360° when feeding the film by in each case one frame. Theimage counting disc 401 thereby passes through all movement phasesaccording to FIGS. 27(a) to 27(h) successively and sequentially during afeeding of the film by one frame, to which end in this case all imagemarks on the image counting disc 401 are arranged at such a mutualinterspacing on a single image mark circle that, starting from thedisplay of an image mark characterising a certain exposure number in theinspection window 415 when setting the image counting disc 401 accordingto FIG. 27(a), the image mark indicating the exposure with the nextfollowing image number (counting backwards) is then displayed in theinspection window 415 when the image counting disc 401 has reached itssetting according to FIG. 27(h). In this case too the inspection window415 may be reduced to a simple rectangular or circular shape.Furthermore, in this embodiment only a single arcuate control stop 440instead of several control stops 440 to 444 need be provided in order toform a stop for the bolt 210 of the locking lever 201 of the feedlocking device 200 when feeding the film incrementally in the region ofthe end strip and to prevent the locking lever 201 engaging in one ofthe grooves 111, 112, of the grooved disc 110 of the perforation wheelassembly 100.

Finally, it is also possible that in the image counting device 400 theimage counting disc 401 carrying the counting marks is not displacedrelative to the inspection window 415, but instead the image countingdisc carrying the counting marks may, in kinematic reversal, bestationary and a carrier containing the inspection window 415 may rotateabout this image counting disc during incremental feeding of the film,the inspection window then moving over the counting marks of thestationary image counting disc. In this case the perforation wheelassembly 100 does not drive the image counting disc, but instead drivesthe carrier of the inspection window 415. Furthermore, deviations fromthe embodiments illustrated in the drawings are also possible inasmuchas, instead of an eccentric pin 114 on the shaft 113 of the perforationwheel assembly 100, an eccentric is formed by the image counting disc401.

The image counting device described above may also be employed in otherphotographic apparatus and equipment or other types of recordingequipment involving the counting of images or other types of recordings.

Furthermore, the counting device used for counting images in a camera inthe embodiment described above may also be used in other equipment,apparatus and machinery to count successive switching, control or otherprocedures within a limited counting range, for example in devices forthe automatic monitoring of access to vehicles and other means oftransport, meeting venues, etc., or in devices for packing or sellingreceptacles containing objects or substances in limited numbers oramounts in each case, above all in those cases in which innon-stationary use of such devices, counting procedures are to becarried out using simple mechanical means, independently of theavailability of external energy sources. In this connection switchingmembers other than the locking lever 201 provided in the embodimentaccording to FIGS. 36 to 43 may be controlled depending on predeterminedangular positions of the counting disc.

The above embodiments of an image counting device for a camera areexamples of the embodiment of a more general teaching. According to thisteaching, in a counting device for a camera or for other applicationswith a counting mark carrier 401 with a plurality of angularly arrangedcounting marks forming a first assembly and with a display device 415forming a second assembly and cooperating with counting marks of thecounting mark carrier, with relative adjustability of the two assemblieswith respect to one another by means of a control device 114, theassembly 401 that can be adjusted relative to the other assembly can berotated and displaced by the control device 114 parallel to a plane ofrotation of this adjustable assembly 401. Preferably the rotatable anddisplaceable assembly contains the counting mark carrier 401.

The adjustable assembly 401 may be arrested alternately at differentregions of its edge and may be rotated alternately about these arrestingregions by means of the control device. In particular, the adjustableassembly 401 may have an annular external contour and may form anarresting device consisting of at least two arresting means 413, 414and/or 420, 421 engaging at different points on the annular externalcountour, between which means the adjustable assembly 401 can bedisplaced parallel to its plane of adjustment so as to be alternatelyarrested. The arresting means of the arresting device may alternatelyarrest the adjustable assembly 401. The arresting means may comprise atleast one arresting tooth 413 and the adjustable assembly 401 may have atoothed ring 408 on its annular external contour, by means of which atleast one arresting tooth 413 can alternately come into and out ofengagements.

For example the adjustable assembly 401 may have an inspection surface404 and a surface 405 opposite this inspection surface, on which thetoothed ring 408 is arranged, the said ring being covered by theinspection surface 404. The arresting device may comprise a furtherarresting tooth 414 which, in relation to the adjustable assembly 401,lies almost diametrically opposite the first arresting tooth 413. Inanother modification the arresting device may comprise a clamping device420, 421 by means of which the adjustable assembly can be arrested byclamping.

The adjustable assembly can be driven by the control device 114 androtated and displaced under the action of the arresting device. Thecontrol device 114 may together with the adjustable assembly form aneccentric. The adjustable assembly may be disc-shaped.

In a further modification the adjustable assembly 401 may have tworegions 422, 423 movable with respect to one another, the arrestingdevice acting on one region 422 and the control device 414 acting on theother region 423, the two regions being able to be frictionallyconnected to one another. One or more elastically deformable connectingmembers 424, 425, 426 may be provided between the two regions 422, 423of the adjustable assembly 401.

In yet a further modification the adjustable assembly 401 may be blockedin a predetermined position by a locking device 428-433. In a furthermodification the adjustable assembly 401 may have stop means 440-444that cooperate with a switching device 210 in predetermined positions ofthe adjustable assembly.

Preferably counting marks 411, 412 may be arranged in a predeterminednumerical sequence alternately on two concentric circles 409, 410 on theassembly 401 containing the counting mark carrier. The display device415 may be formed by a window cooperating with counting marks of thecounting mark carrier, the said window being designed and arranged insuch a way that it displays counting marks of both concentric circles409, 410. The window of the display device 415 may be formed in such away that at least in one arresting position of the counting mark carrier401 it extends in a radial direction over both concentric circles onwhich counting marks are arranged. In particular the window of thedisplay device 415 may be approximately T-shaped.

By way of example, the counting mark carrier 401 forms the imagecounting disc of a camera. In a camera with an image counting device ofthe above type, the adjustable image counting disc 401 may have acontrol device 440-444 for controlling a feed locking device 200 of thecamera, wherein the control device 440-444 renders the feed lockingdevice 200 inoperative in predetermined positions of the image countingdisc. The control device 440-444 of the image counting disc 401 may haveat least two groups of stop means 440 and 441-444, which are alternatelyactivated corresponding to adjustment movements of the image countingdisc 401. The groups of stop means 440 and 441-444 may form concentricrings and may be arranged in such a way that stop means 441-444 that arearranged on an outer circular arc have such a mutual interspacing that aswitching member 210 of the feed locking device 200 or of anotherswitching device can by relative adjustment between adjacent stop meansreach a further stop means 440 arranged along a concentric innercircular arc.

What is claimed is:
 1. A camera for edge-perforated film, comprising afirst housing part (2) and a second housing part (115, 118); and asprocket wheel assembly (100) comprising a rotatably mounted sprocketwheel (101 ) having a peripheral teeth portion with teeth (102) forengaging in edge perforations of the film, and a bearing collar (103)arranged coaxially to said sprocket wheel; wherein said sprocket wheelassembly being arranged in the camera so that one side of said sprocketwheel contacts a bearing surface (17) of said first housing part, andsaid bearing collar is rotationally arranged in a bearing openingprovided in said second housing part; and said second housing partcomprising a first plate (115) and a second plate (118), which first andsecond plates are mountable in said camera separately one after theother, but adjacent to each other so as to jointly form said bearingopening and to engage said bearing collar (103) of said sprocket wheelassembly (100) radially from opposite sides.
 2. A camera according toclaim 1, wherein, when said second plate is arranged adjacent said firstplate, a recess (116) formed at a margin portion of said first plate anda recess (119) formed at a margin portion of said second plate areformed and located symmetrically with respect to each other so as tojointly form said bearing opening of said second housing part.
 3. Acamera according to claim 1, comprising a first interspace formedbetween said bearing surface of said first housing part and said firstplate so as to enable insertion of said sprocket wheel into said firstinterspace; and a second interspace formed between said bearing surfaceof said first housing part and said second plate, wherein said first andsecond interspace jointly form a circumferential interspacingaccommodating the peripheral teeth portion of said sprocket wheel.
 4. Acamera according to claim 1, wherein said first plate is connected tosaid first housing part and said second plate is connected to a thirdhousing part (117) carrying a lens (5) of the camera.
 5. A cameraaccording to claim 1, wherein said bearing collar is connected to saidsprocket wheel at a side opposite to the side contacting said bearingsurface of said first housing part.
 6. A camera according to claim 1,wherein said sprocket wheel and said bearing collar of said sprocketwheel assembly are formed as a single integral unit.
 7. A cameraaccording to claim 1, wherein said sprocket wheel assembly comprisesfilm feed control means (110) arranged coaxially to said sprocket wheeland provided for controlling a film feed locking device (200) providedfor locking a film feed device of the camera.
 8. A camera according toclaim 7, wherein said film feed control means comprise a grooved dischaving a cam which is followed by a cam follower formed as a lockinglever (201) of said film feed locking device.
 9. A camera according toclaim 8, wherein said grooved disc has at least one groove (111, 112)engageable by a pawl (205) arranged at said locking lever.
 10. A cameraaccording to claim 1, wherein said sprocket wheel assembly comprisesshutter release control means (104, 106) arranged coaxially to saidsprocket wheel and provided for controlling a shutter release lockingdevice (300) provided for enabling and disabling, respectively, releaseof a photographic shutter by a shutter release device of the camera. 11.A camera according to claim 10, wherein said shutter release controlmeans is provided for controlling a sequence of successive operations ofa shutter actuation member (317) of said shutter release device of thecamera.
 12. A camera according to claim 10, wherein said shutter releasecontrol means are provided for changing an operation condition of saidshutter release device after a release of said photographic shutter froma non-releasable operating condition to a releasable operatingcondition.
 13. A camera according to claim 10, wherein said shutterrelease control means comprise a disc having at least one cam surface(107, 108) of an outwardly increasing cross section, followed by atleast one cam follower (318, 321) of said shutter release device.
 14. Acamera according to claim 13, wherein a first cam follower (318) isprovided for controlling the operation of said shutter release devicefrom a releasable operating condition to a non-releasable operatingcondition, and a second cam follower (321) is provided for controllingthe operation of said shutter release device from said non-releasableoperating condition to said releasable operating condition.
 15. A cameraaccording to claim 10, wherein at least one control cam surface adopts apredetermined angular position in relation to said film feed controlmeans for controlling said film feed locking device.
 16. A cameraaccording to claim 15, wherein said at least one control cam surface ofsaid shutter release control means has at least one recess that isangularly slightly displaced in relation to at least one groove (111,112) of said film feed control means.
 17. A camera according to claim 1,wherein said sprocket wheel assembly comprises image counting controlmeans (114) connected to said sprocket wheel, for controlling an imagecounting device (400) of the camera.
 18. A camera according to claim 17,wherein said image counting device (400) has an eccentric portion andcontrolled by said image counting control means and cooperating with animage counting disc (410) and said image counting device.
 19. A cameraaccording to claim 18, wherein said sprocket wheel assembly togetherwith at lease one of said film feed control means, said shutter releasecontrol means and said image counting control means is formed as asingle integral unit made of plastic material.